Wang Fire's page

Hello, space cowboys. I finally cracked open the core rulebook today to build a punch-happy Strength-based Android Armor Storm Soldier. I know Vesks are the best at punching, but since I can't play a robot like I wanted for Starfinder <grumbles> I'm gonna make due with Androids. But I'm currently stumped by a particular detail with the Hammer Fist ability.

It doesn't state what specific type of battleglove to use with the unarmed attack, but I'm thinking it's a safe assumption at level 1 it ought to be the Cestus Battleglove (item level 1).

But at level 10, do I then get the option to use the Power Battleglove (item level 10) stats and its Powered weapon property because the Hammer Fist's battleglove attack would be considered item level 10? I'm not sure what else Hammer Fist would be using item level for as I don't suspect that the heavy or powered armor's fist is supposed to gain an increase in hardness and hit points for that specific attack and resets back to normal after attack/damage rolls are resolved.

But I'm REALLY fresh on all things Starfinder and probably missing something obvious. I'm totally cool with using the Cestus Battleglove for all of the Armor Storm's levels with Hammer Fist if that's how it works, but I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on options since if focusing on unarmed strikes with a non-strength based race (i.e. not Vesk) I should ensure I know what all optimization options are to keep up with others. Any insight would be appreciated. I want to get past this piece of confusing (to me anyways) rules jargon and finish up my Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot for upcoming Starfinder Society games.

ALSO! Apologies if this was already answered previously. The forums' search function is borked right now and I went back several pages in Starfinder forums and tried a localized Google search on the topic but couldn't find anything.

I'm trying to purchase a PFS scenario. But the transaction kept declining when I used my current payment method. I noticed that the address is of my previous residence which I haven't updated on Paizo. I can't add a new address in either the Manage Shipping addresses page (it lacks an "Add" button, just has the options to delete my old addresses) or the Select Address-Enter New Address button when adding new Payment Method (when I enter my new address then click "Select this Address" the page just resets back to the Manage Payment page, and the address still isn't saved but just has an extra address column with no information in the Manage Addresses page).

I tried using Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari browser from iPhone. All the same results.

I started playing an unarmed fighter, not the archetype but rather fighting with fists and going regular fighter (due to lack of other options I might like) for armor training (full plate in full speed) and weapon training and the advanced versions of such, for Hell's Rebels AP.

To make the most of the admittedly not ideal weapon of unarmed attack for a fighter, I was hoping to pick up Advanced Weapon Training feat around level 5 or so and pick up Warrior's Spirit to help boost damage/options.

However I'm currently uncertain about application.

Warrior Spirit (Su): The fighter can forge a spiritual bond with a weapon that belongs to the associated weapon group, allowing him to unlock the weapon's potential. Each day, he designates one such weapon and gains a number of points of spiritual energy equal to 1 + his weapon training bonus. While wielding this weapon, he can spend 1 point of spiritual energy to grant the weapon an enhancement bonus equal to his weapon training bonus. Enhancement bonuses gained by this advanced weapon training option stack with those of the weapon, to a maximum of +5. The fighter can also imbue the weapon with any one weapon special ability with an equivalent enhancement bonus less than or equal to his maximum bonus by reducing the granted enhancement bonus by the amount of the equivalent enhancement bonus. The item must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 (from the item itself or from warrior spirit) to gain a weapon special ability. In either case, these bonuses last for 1 minute.

If I was to select unarmed strike under the Close Weapons group, would the enhancement bonus granted by Warrior Spirit apply to all my unarmed attacks (if say I were to TWF unarmed) like an amulet of mighty fists? Or would it just be to one unarmed striking limb, such as a fist, and I can full attack with it with high BAB, but any offhand unarmed strikes wouldn't benefit from Warrior Spirit?

If I were to use one the enhancement bonus to instead apply a weapon special ability, like bane or flaming, would an amulet of mighty fists +1 treat the weapon as a +1 so I can apply the weapon special ability directly? Or would AoMF +1 not count as the enhancement bonus is granted from an external source (AoMF) and not "from the item [fist] itself" as stated to be needed by Warrior Spirit?

With the Gunsmithing feat, one can purchase black powder and regular bullets at 10% of regular price and alchemical cartridges at 50% of regular price.

Assuming one also has ranks in Craft (firearms) specifically to benefit from Artisan's Shop (Firearms) for a 5% discount on non-magical firearms and ammunition, how does that work with the Gunsmithing discounts?

Would the Gunsmithing prices be the new default price to apply artisan's discount? Black powder dose (10 gp) becomes 1 gp base price and 5% discount for 9 sp & 5 cp? And paper alchemical cartridge (12 gp) becomes 6 gp base price and 5% discount for 5 gp & 7 sp?

Or would the Gunsmithing and Artisan's Shop discounts be applied together? Black powder 10 gp dose gets a 95% discount (assuming Gunsmithing is considered a 90% discount) and becomes 5 sp? And paper alchemical cartridge 12 gp gets a 55% discount for 5 gp & 4 sp?

OOOOR would the two simply not stack?

So I'm playing a wyrwood fighter for Hell's Rebels and noticed the city was along the shore and the potential for seafaring adventures, especially with the player's guide mentioning aquatic sorcerer bloodline and aquatic elves.

Naturally I'm wondering about the wyrwood's advantages for such a situation. With the construct traits, I'd obviously don't have to worry about breathing underwater, however underwater pressure which seems pretty extreme for most parties/creatures.

Very deep water is not only generally pitch black, posing a navigational hazard, but worse, deals water pressure damage of 1d6 points per minute for every 100 feet the character is below the surface. A successful Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) means the diver takes no damage in that minute. Very cold water deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage from hypothermia per minute of exposure.

Obviously for most of the very deep underwater rules, constructs are fine with darkvision and immunity to nonlethal damage. For the pressure damage, though, the only trait that might be relevant is, "Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless)."

The question of the day: Are objects and constructs susceptible to underwater pressure damage?

I can't find it in the PRD rules anywhere, and don't feel comfortable looking through adventure paths to see if there's any outside-the-core-rules detailing such anywhere, but if anyone has any insight or can cite anything, that would be great.

Looking through Archives of Nethys, I think I found one reference, but I'm not sure it's really definitive: the Submerge Ship spell states it "protects the ship and all aboard from the dangers of drowning and pressure", which suggests the ship, being an object, would need the spell to avoid pressure damage. However this being a spell from an AP (it popped up in the search for "pressure"!) I'm not sure how accurate it is under the rules.

Logically I'd assume hollow objects would suffer the pressure damage; not like one finds a lot of intact ships under the sea. But a lot of smaller non-hollow objects are found A-OK (besides the rust), and plenty of adventures or scenarios with creatures adapted to underwater pressure are fine:

Natural Adaptation: Any creature that has the aquatic subtype can breathe water easily and is unaffected by water temperature extremes that are found in that creature's typical environment. Aquatic creatures and creatures with the hold breath ability are much more resistant to pressure damage; they do not suffer damage from pressure unless they are moved instantaneously from one depth to another in the blink of an eye (in which case they adapt to the pressure change after successfully making five successive Fortitude saves against the pressure effects).

Without their equipment breaking for being several hundred feet underwater for several hours and with their gear and loot intact.

After several beatdowns suffered by these incorporeal pests recently in PFS, I was doing some reading to hopefully protect myself further than simply relying on force effects like mage armor and magic missile and ghost touch weapons.

All ghosts get Corrupting Touch which has been the bane of my characters' health as of late:

Corrupting Touch (Su): All ghosts gain this incorporeal touch attack. By passing part of its incorporeal body through a foe's body as a standard action, the ghost inflicts a number of d6s equal to its CR in damage. This damage is not negative energy—it manifests in the form of physical wounds and aches from supernatural aging. Creatures immune to magical aging are immune to this damage, but otherwise the damage bypasses all forms of damage reduction. A Fortitude save halves the damage inflicted.

Looking up magic items to help I ran across this nifty gem I'd usually overlook because of limited usefulness:

Nacreous Gray Sphere (normal)

Aura moderate abjuration; CL 12th
Slot none; Price 10,000 gp; Weight —
Description
This stone protects you from ability score penalties from aging and you cannot be magically aged. Any penalties you have already incurred remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and you still die of old age when your time is up. If you lose the stone or its abilities are negated in some way, all age and penalties apply immediately.
Resonance
Miss chance against incorporeal creatures decreases to 25%.

While higher CR ghosts got other toys I'd have to get around but the damage of the corrupting touch is worth addressing now. However, before I fork over the extra 10k GP for one or two of my PFS characters, would wanna double-check with folks on the forums to make sure I'm not missing anything that such an item wouldn't make a regular humanoid character immune to a ghost's corrupting touch ability.

Everything look ok?

For those unaware of the Player Companion: Blood of Shadows, it has a combat style feat tree, Blinded Blade Style.

You hold no fear of blindness, as your other senses improve without the distractions of sight.

Prerequisites: Blind-Fight, Perception 5 ranks.
Benefit: While you are using this style, you gain a number of benefits whenever you are blinded or unable to see (including when you wear a blindfold or close your eyes). Under such circumstances, you do not take any penalties on Strength- or Dexterity-based skill checks due to blindness. In addition, you gain a +4 bonus on hearing- and smell-based Perception checks and gain the scent special ability with a range of 10 feet; if you already have scent, the range of your scent ability increases by 10 feet instead. Having this feat counts as having 10 ranks in Perception for the purpose of satisfying the prerequisites of the Improved Blind-Fight feat, as well as any feat that lists Improved Blind-Fight as a prerequisite.

Your lack of sight enables you to strike your foes with uncanny precision.

Prerequisites: Blinded Blade Style, Blind-Fight, Improved Blind-Fight, Perception 10 ranks.
Benefit: While you are using Blinded Blade Style and you are blinded or unable to see, you do not need to succeed at Perception checks to pinpoint the location of creatures within reach of your melee weapon, or your unmodified reach if you are not wielding a melee weapon. This ability functions like blindsense, except creatures you cannot see do not gain total concealment against you. Having this feat counts as having 15 ranks in Perception for the purpose of satisfying the prerequisites of the Greater Blind-Fight feat, as well as any feat that lists Greater Blind-Fight as a prerequisite.

Your skill at arms while unable to see is astounding.

Prerequisites: Blind-Fight, Blinded Blade Precision (clarified to supposed to be Blinded Competence), Blinded Blade Style, Greater Blind-Fight, Improved Blind-Fight, Perception 15 ranks.

Benefit: While you are using Blinded Blade Style and you are blinded or unable to see, your ability to pinpoint creatures’ locations using Blinded Competence improves to function like blindsight rather than blindsense, and the range increases to 30 feet. In addition, you add half your character level to the DCs of Bluff checks to feint you in combat.

Now on to the questions!

1) What action would it be to close one's eyes to benefit from Blinded Blade Style? Or for that matter, what's also the action to open eyes to see again and losing benefits of the feats?
Typically, it's a swift action to enter a style stance. Blinded Blade Style has a requirement that one needs to be "blinded or unable to see (including when you wear a blindfold or close your eyes)". Since I'm hoping for using this style in PFS, permanent blindness isn't really an option I want to entertain every scenario, so will resort to closed eyes.
A free action seems too good, if one can say you're blinking repeatedly for semi-constant scent/blindsense/blindsight AND vision? Bleh.
A swift action, maybe even the one used to enter the style? Would have the limit of once a round built in and costing a future potential immediate action.
Sean K Reynolds suggested a move action back in 2010, but I'm not sure if that's applicable for PFS or what the writers of Blood of Shadows was thinking. Anything longer than a move (standard and longer) seems too long to be practical and I'm hoping it's not the case.

2) Do the benefits of blindsense from Blinded Competence and the blindsight from Blinded Master work only on to sense/perceive creatures? Or could they also be used to detect surrounding features or objects, like furniture or walls or traps or giant pit in the ground?
Blindsense in the PRD states working on creatures and a casual reference to noticing "things":

Other creatures have blindsense, a lesser ability that lets the creature notice things it cannot see, but without the precision of blindsight. The creature with blindsense usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice and locate creatures within range of its blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent that cannot be seen has total concealment (50% miss chance) against a creature with blindsense, and the blindsensing creature still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

Blindsight doesn't specify creatures only, but that the one can operate effectively without vision, so I'm guessing it works for creatures and non-creatures?

Some creatures possess blindsight, the extraordinary ability to use a nonvisual sense (or a combination senses) to operate effectively without vision. Such senses may include sensitivity to vibrations, acute scent, keen hearing, or echolocation. This makes invisibility and concealment (even magical darkness) irrelevant to the creature (though it still can't see ethereal creatures). This ability operates out to a range specified in the creature description.

- Blindsight never allows a creature to distinguish color or visual contrast. A creature cannot read with blindsight.
- Blindsight does not subject a creature to gaze attacks (even though darkvision does).
- Blinding attacks do not penalize creatures that use blindsight.
- Deafening attacks thwart blindsight if it relies on hearing.
- Blindsight works underwater but not in a vacuum.
- Blindsight negates displacement and blur effects.

I'm currently hoping that since the original blindsense would arguably allow a bat (low-light vision and blindsense 20 ft) to navigate around in a pitch-black dark cave, yet doesn't mention objects or walls, that blindsense would work to detect non-creatures, and by extension, so would the blindsense from Blinded Competence and the blindsight from Blinded Master.

3) Does the +4 bonus to smell-based Perception checks stack with scent's "+8 bonus on Perception checks made to detect a scent" (from Perception skill description)?
I'm inclined to say yes since they're both unnamed bonuses, and the +4 is to specifically balance out with the blinded penalties and scent is a separate bonus.
However I could see the argument that the +4 bonus to smell-based Perception checks IS the feat's weaker version of scent's bonus to Perception. Since the feat only grants 10 ft instead of the normal 30 ft standard of scent, maybe the bonus is smaller?

4) What sense does the blindsense or blindsight from Blinded Competence/Master rely on? Is it hearing? Smell? Unspecified and thus can't be specifically targeted to negate the blindsense/blindsight?
Blindsight says that "deafening attacks thwart blindsight if it relies on hearing." If the Blinded Blade Style's blindsense/blindsight relies on hearing, then a silence spell or thunderstone can totally mess up a Blinded Blade Style PC.
If it's smell, then not only would the Negate Aroma spell would bypass scent, but the others too right? And a non-water breathing creature probably wouldn't be able to use blindsense/blindsight underwater if scent doesn't work there.

That's all the questions I got for now; will probably have more later.
Apologies if the post is very long. I'm trying to get it as clear as I can the first time.

I'm currently rebuilding my level 6 playtest vigilante to have the Blinded Blade Style feat tree (he was already a lawyer social identity, might as well go as close to Daredevil as I can now that Blood of Shadows came out with such an option). Blinded blade style grants scent if the character is blinded or can't see (blindfolded or closing eyes works too), the character would "gain the scent special ability with a range of 10 feet; if you already have scent, the range of your scent ability increases by 10 feet instead." Obviously I'm gonna have to find another source of gaining the scent ability to maximize that feat ability. Thus, the Headband of the Wolf!

Price 5,000 gp; Slot headband; CL 5th; Weight 1/2 lb.; Aura faint transmutation

This silver band is cast to resemble a pack of hunting wolves. On command, the wearer can gain the scent ability with a range of 10 feet (20 feet upwind, 5 feet downwind) as the wolf aspect of the hunter's animal focus class feature. If the wearer is a hunter with that aspect, this headband instead increases the wearer's effective hunter level for the wolf aspect by 8 levels.

The caster level is 5, does that mean the hunter's animal focus class feature is treated as level 5 for a duration of 5 minutes? Or are class features that aren't replicating spells independent of item caster level and it's treated as a minimal of 1 minute duration? Or unlimited duration that can be turned off and on with a command word? It not being a spell has thrown me into a loop trying to reverse the math to figure out what duration might be.

If a vigilante has more than one communities for renown (either from picking up Great Renown before Safe House, or having a Chronicle Sheet boon) would that vigilante have more than one safe house? If so, would they both be max volume of a cube 10 feet per vigilante level to a side or would one have to split it between the two or various safe houses?

The vigilante can establish a safe house in his area of renown, and he can change it every time he changes his area of renown. This safe house must be an area no larger in volume than a cube 10 feet per vigilante level to a side, though it can be arranged any way he likes and it can be part of a larger building, like a secret room or an underground cave. Objects within this safe house cannot be located by any effect less than a discern location spell. At 7th level, creatures in the safe house are also protected from discern location. At 13th level, the entire area is protected from scrying effects (though not mundane snooping) like a mage’s private sanctum. A vigilante must have the renown social talent to select this talent.

The vigilante becomes known for deeds and abilities, regardless of his current identity. This renown grants him favorable treatment in civilized company and lends an air of menace while facing down his enemies.

While he is in his social identity, a vigilante can spend 1 week gaining renown among the locals of any community of no more than about 200 individuals (a village if using settlement statistics). This could be the entire community or a smaller neighborhood in a larger settlement. He must spend at least 4 hours each day socializing and making contacts. After spending 1 week, whenever he is in his social identity, all NPCs treat their starting attitude toward him as one category better, as long as their initial attitude would have at least been indifferent (see the Diplomacy skills on pages 93–94 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).
While he gains renown in an area using his social identity, he also spreads rumors and tales about his vigilante identity. Once he has gained renown in a community, whenever he is in his vigilante identity, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Intimidate skill checks. This bonus applies only while he is within a number of miles equal to his vigilante level from the community in which he has gained renown.
A vigilante can hold renown in only a limited number of communities (one or possibly two with other social talents). If he gains renown in a new community, he must decide which one of his previous communities to lose. These bonuses and abilities are subject to GM approval. The GM might rule that an NPC or monster has not heard the tales or, in rare cases, might respond negatively if the NPC targeted by the check is a foe of the vigilante.

My vigilante just hit level 5 and got a PFS game Tuesday evening and debating between Safe House or Many Guises. While I know safe house would hardly come up he's got all of Absalom as a community for renown (thanks to Extraordinary Renown boon from the Chronicle Sheet) and another normal 200-individuals community he can set anywhere with a week's notice. If he can have one at Absalom and a wherever temporary safe house in each scenario outside Absalom, I can probably have a lot of fun with that. Many Guises would be cool too just travelling from place to place with a normal person identity, which would undercover sessions pretty interesting.

I've been hoping to get a bokken for a potential samurai character for PFS and for home games. Home games I suppose I can use rules from Jade Regent book 5 for its bokken stats (basically a masterwork club but any feats or effects applying to a katana can apply to a bokken, I think, I don't have book in front of me). But for PFS the concept has been sort of boned unless I simply go masterwork club with no class or feat support for katana

However the Melee Tactics Toolbox has rules for wasters.

Waster

Source Melee Tactics Toolbox pg. 21
Price 1 gp; Weight varies
Category Tools
Description
A waster is a heavily weighted wooden practice weapon, used as a way to build endurance and expertise with a specific weapon. All wasters are designed to emulate a specific melee weapon (such as a kukri waster or a greatsword waster), and weigh twice as much as the weapons they emulate.

Using a waster to hone your combat techniques requires 1 hour of practice and a DC 15 combat maneuver check. If you succeed at the check, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your CMD against combat maneuvers targeting weapons you wield that match the waster your practiced with. This bonus lasts for 24 hours.

I'm wondering if the "All wasters are designed to emulate a specific melee weapon (such as a kukri waster or a greatsword waster), and weigh twice as much as the weapons they emulate" part of the text means that a greatsword waster can be used as a 2d6 wooden weapon? Or a katana waster can be a 1d8 wooden weapon?

Or is it just a cosmetic look and wasters aren't used as weapons at all but simply for the CMD bonus on specific weapons?

I suspect the latter, but I hope for something along the former.

Since Spirit's Gift got nerfed for th benefit to be once per day and 1 min / level of the familiar's master, my Eldritch Guardian needs to up his mauler fox familiar's defenses significantly (level 4 and its AC is 13) as I can't bank on DR 5/adamantine keeping the fox alive anymore. Granted it was a short term benefit once more magic comes into play, but it was nice while it lasted. So for now while I'm still low-ish level and in beginning of book 2 of Rise of the Runelords, I plan on getting the fox a masterwork studded leather armor to up it's AC.

I'm gonna be sticking with Mark Seifter's [urlk=http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rwp5?Familiar-Folio-fun-What-else-can-you-do-with#33]explanation that the mauler's battle form is a supernatural polymoprh effect[/url]. Anyone that tries telling me otherwise, it won't help because there's no way my GM, my party, or myself for that matter, are gonna be cool with the monster-creation-table Str bonuses.

Because it's a polymorph effect I'm trying to determine if the armor changes size with the mauler in or out of battle form.

When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type, all of your gear melds into your body. Items that provide constant bonuses and do not need to be activated continue to function while melded in this way (with the exception of armor and shield bonuses, which cease to function)...If your new form does not cause your equipment to meld into your form, the equipment resizes to match your new size.

QUESTION: Since the mauler doesn't actually polymorph from magical beast to anything else, does the armor get melded into his new size and be ineffectual? Or would the armor change size with the mauler and can still be used in mauler's original size or medium-sized battle form?

This is so great to see finally!

I'd definitely wanna try the elemental ascetic one day!
And the kinetic chirurgeon next time I do healer role.

WHO ARE YOU?
I'm Protoman. This is the second playtest I'm doing (first one was WANG FIRE!!! Pyrokineticist), hopefully will get a bunch of games in before the playtest is over!

HOW ARE YOU PLAYTESTING?
PFS. Scenarios won't be handpicked specifically for vigilante usefulness so I'm gonna have to get creative if I ever wanna see my class abilities in play.

WHAT SCENARIOS ARE YOU PLAYING
Whatever I can get that's scheduled that I can jump in on for my subtier. My local PFS groups haven't scheduled up July schedules yet.

WHAT ARE YOU PLAYTESTING?
Looking the vigilante class over, Avenger Vigilante certainly seems the weakest/blandest one. So that's the specialization I'm going with!

UMMM WHY AN AVENGER?
I've done the kineticist as a pryo and felt that the warlock would be too similar, yet less fun.
(Yes to those who say warlock is stronger than kineticist, warlocks aren't as fun! Sure they can do more ranged damage at higher levels, but melee kineticists beat out melee warlocks damage-wise, and in-play kineticists are funner than spellcasters because I can use my wild talents WAY more often than spells.)
The zealot feels too much of a weaker inquisitor.
I don't feel stealth PCs can really benefit from their abilities all that much in PFS unless they got invisibility. And the stalker isn't as combat-heavy as I'd like it.
I've never played a greatsword wielding fighter-type in PFS before, and a class with bunch of skill points, social skills, and decent amount of bonus feats is better for PFS than a regular fighter.

WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT BUILD AND WHY?
I decided that concept-wise, the Crimson Falcon is a crime fighter vigilante by night, sarcastic yet-diligent Chelish lawyer by day. Anyone played PFS 6-05: Slave Ships of Absalom? Remember Solicitor Salbus of the Red Letter? He's awesome! Anyhoo, let's say Crimson Falcon works there as a junior associate in the day and uses the resources there and finds out slaver information to be a thorn in their side at night. Yes, the Chelish lawyer is with the Liberty's Edge (as most my characters are lol) who calls himself the Falcon for obvious Andoren imagery so no one suspects he's actually Chelish.

Build-wise, avenger supports the 2-handed weapon build, especially with the Vital Strike route. Aaaand there's not a lot of feats to specialize from there so I'll probably be throwing in Combat Reflexes since the AoOs are gonna be wicked nice thanks to Vital Strike.

I'm goin with Cloud Strife from FFVII (as if working for AVALANCHE is the Vigilante identity, and crazy in the head bartender/delivery boy is the Social identity). And for lack of an imagination when it comes to names (seriously, my last playtest character is named Wang Fire for the puns and dirty jokes potential) I'll call Crimson Falcon's Social identity "Jak Strife", minor Chelish noble working as a junior associate at the Red Letter, and using his noble status for extended vacations or weaseled his way under the foreign affairs branch to justify long trips outside Absalom for PFS missions. Also, Jak Strife is NOT a Pathfinder, whereas the Crimson Falcon begrudgingly is for anti-slavery potential missions and Liberty's Edge contacts. Jak Strife is also willing to defend Pathfinders in the court of law if they're ever accused of typical murder-hobo activities. Business has been good.
Yes I've mostly talked about the Social identity stuff. That's because this is the vigilante class and I feel it's important to have that aspect down to properly get the feel of the Vigilante identity.

So to paint a picture on what he looks like:
Crimson Falcon: Greatsword. Andoren military parade armor (but Cheliax colours of Red and Black instead of Blue and White). Red feather fringe on the sleeves (I'm not sure on this yet). Steel Visored falconhead-shaped helmet like the ones SOLDIER have in FFVII.

Jak Strife: Blond hair with widow's peak. Purple-coloured eyes (emphasizing Azlanti heritage). Glasses. Black courtier's outfit (or whatever the equivalent it is for a business suit in Absalom-setting). Basicially if Cloud Strife was an undercover Turk.

RACE: Chelish Human

STATS: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 8, CHA 10
I usually go 7-8 Charisma and make up for the social skills with Student of Philosophy or Clever Wordplay traits to shore up bluff or diplomacy, but the vigilante class also requires decent disguise and intimidate for a bunch of different reasons. I'll play with a Wis 8 for level one and see if I need to increase it for the 2nd level rebuild later.

TRAITS: Reckless; no one's gonna be able to convince me that someone who fights crime in the night, or alternatively commits crime, wouldn't have Acrobatics to jump from rooftop to rooftop for alternate entrance-making or escaping authorities (works for both good and bad vigilantes!). Right now the second trait is Blood of Dragons for low-light vision; that isn't set in stone and I'm up for changing it for level 2 if I can think of something else better or if anyone has any recommendations.

EXPECTED FEATS AND SPECIAL ABILITIES
I'm throwing in what I plan on picking ahead of time since THF doesn't require much beyond Power Attack and would like input from others about the effectiveness of the potential build.
1 - Dual Identity (Jak Strife/Crimson Falcon). Social Grace (hoping the +20 disguise can be applied for pretending to be a non-Pathfinder if Jak isn't one). Vigilante Specialiation (avenger). Power Attack, Furious Focus - It'd be useful for level 1 since I only got one attack and damage is the only way I'd really be contributing at that level. Will rebuild at 2 and pick up Dodge.
2 - Talent: Signature Weapon (Weapon Focus greatsword)
3 - Renown (lesser) - not gonna be terribly useful in PFS. Mobility
4 - Talent: Combat Skill (Combat Reflexes)
5 - Startling Appearance. Combat Patrol - For lack of anything better to do with my feats, I'm thinking of giving Combat Patrol a whirl when I hit 5. Could mesh well with Vital Punishment in the beginning of combat.
6 - Talent: Vital Punishment (Vital Strike - Too bad it's only once per round for the AoO, but hitting with 4d6+12 after moving into a decent position with Mobility ain't too bad.

SKILLS: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Disguise, Intimidate, Knowledge local, Perception, Profession barrister, Stealth,

ARMOR CLASS: 15. Gaaah so low. Don't want medium armor as that would slow me down and penalize my acrobatics and stealth too much. Armor silence and armor skin are both too pricy for what little they do.
GEAR = Greatsword, light crossbow with grappling bolt and silk rope. Sling.

Any word if we can use the vigilante for PFS now that the playtest is open?

Excellent picture, but the Shadowless Sword is supposed to be a jian rather than a katana.

Varian cuts a very fine swashbuckler pose though.

Stealing the format from Sammy T as it seems the most clear cut and straightforward. Hope you don't mind.

WHO ARE YOU?
I'm Protoman. This is the first time I ever had a chance to play a playtest class, only recently started up PFS after a 3 year hiatus, excited to playest it, and happy to report on it.

HOW ARE YOU PLAYTESTING?

I exclusively play PFS, so my playtests will be in sanctioned modules or official PFS scenarios. These are almost all tables with open sign ups. This means party sizes will vary, player system mastery may be lacking and the ideal balanced party you theorycraft may not be the one you actually play with. But it also means that table variation on rules should be minimized and the encounters I experience can almost be directly compared to other people's run-throughs.

I'm basically in the same boat. Between GM'ing and playing in higher tier, I'm gonna be scrounging up whatever opportunities I can for my low level kineticist.

WHAT SCENARIOS ARE YOU PLAYING
I've played #04-01: Rise of the Goblin Guild last night. If I'm very lucky I'll get a chance to do #06 - Black Waters before the playtest is over. There's a PFS Season 6 Special happening this weekend and throough conflict of timing, I doubt I'd have much opportunity to try more playtesting as I'm slated to play a different class for the Special and won't be able to join in on other scenarios following it that day.

WHAT ARE YOU PLAYTESTING?
Pyrokineticist. Gonna scorch butts and chew bubblegum. And I burned through all my bubblegum.

WHY A PYROKINETICIST?
I'm aware that the non-touch ranged attacks have more damage, but I personally like hitting with little effort, despite the lower damage. Played through too many characters wiffing the attack roll dice trying to Power Attack cuz the potential and option was there. And my dice tend to hate me, but they're too pretty to throw away. Plus I loved Avatar: The Last Airbender and enjoy The Legend of Korra. I'm also intrigued by the concept of the occultish firestarter that's barely reining in their primal power inside their physical forms as mentioned in my previous post in the General Kineticist thread and specifically from the Innsmouth Garden Society story arc in the D20 Monkey webcomic.
Plus at lower levels, I figured I had good odds of avoiding anything with fire immunity.
And I can use Sokka's alias of Wang Fire gleefully and unironically as I blast everything in sight. Win-win!
I wanted to go melee, but I can't justify the forced burn expenditure for simply moving + kinetic blade until level 5, so will be ranged build until then.

WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT BUILD AND WHY?
Wang Fire is starting at level 1 with one GM credit chronicle under his scorched belt (emergency last-minute GM'ed First Steps the weekend before). So I got some money and prestige I can spend on whatever which is nice. Proper playtest probably shouldn't start with a broke (money-wise, not power level) character anyways.

RACE:

Human. I can't bear the thought of not having Precise Shot until L3. The Point-Blank Shot + Precise Shot feat tax is the primary reason I didn't play a non-human kineticist. The secondary reason? With 2 skill points/level, I would be hurting to contribute in a meaningful way in non-combat situations...and depending on the scenario, that could be a significant chunk of time. Hello, human bonus skill point!

Pretty much the same reasons for human for me. Mechanically, anything else would hurt. I love having skills and have avoided 2-per-level classes for years.

STATS: STR 12, DEX 16, CON 18, INT 12, WIS 10, CHA 7

I went Constitution over Dexterity simply because with fire blast aiming for touch AC, I can afford a lower attack stat and bump it up in the future. I wanted a minimum 12 Strength because of carrying capacity. Int 12 for at least 4 skill points, and I went with favored class benefit (hit point).

TRAITS: Bruising Intellect and Reckless. I went Intimidate for the first time ever because it's hard to justify getting two traits for Diplomacy: one to make it a class skill and one to make it Intelligence-based instead of Charisma. Just having one or the other doesn't seem enough to appeal to me. I love acrobatics and refuse to play a decent Dexterity-based character without it (soooo happy when Reckless got released in Ultimate Campaign). I can tumble away from melee and increases my mobility options simply because it allows me to jump better than most of my party members typically.

FEATS:

(L1) Point Blank & (Human) Precise Shot. Pay your taxes everyone.

Ugh agreed. Though I plan on getting Weapon Finesse and Toughness/Improved Unarmed Strike/Weapon Focus (kinetic blast) by level 5. Obviously I'm undecided on which one of the three besides Weapon Finesse to pick by then.

SKILLS: Acrobatics, Intimidate, Knowledge nature (everyone should have at least 1 knowledge skill), and Perception.

WILD TALENTS: While I wanted to pick up Burning Infusion, moving around cover or getting within 30 feet for blast range in order to attack doesn't give me much opportunity to use a move action to reduce burn if I wanna be attacking in the same round. At lower levels a creature isn't gonna last more than a round or two anyways, so I went with Extended Range.

ARMOR CLASS: 17 = leather lamellar, no shield (didn't wanna mess up the burn-reduction-move-action as that requires 2 free hands), a 16 DEX, 13 HP, I was pretty confident on survival for most low level games.

Each new pic of Radovan just makes him look more badass.

I wonder if there's gonna be a new pic of Count Varian Jeggare anytime soon. His action pose in Queen of Thorns cover is pretty great.

Greetings!

I'm starting up a Champion of Irori character soon and finally gave a hard look at the blade of the sword-saint from Ultimate Equipment.

This exquisitely forged katana is the result of painstaking attention and craftsmanship by one who is dedicated to mastering swordplay in its highest form.

A blade of the sword-saint is a +3 ki intensifying katana. In the hands of a monk, it becomes an instrument of deadly utility. In addition to its more common properties, this weapon can be employed as though the wielder were unarmed: the wielder benefits from feats such as Deflect Arrows or Snatch Arrows (although he can redirect attacks but not catch them if he has no hands free), and a monk treats the blade as a monk weapon for use in his flurry of blows.

So my questions are aimed at the "employed as though wielder were unarmed" part as I'm not sure if my hopes are merely brought up unrealistically or it's as awesome as I think it is.

Does that mean I can use the sword as an unarmed attack?

Can I benefit from Crane Style just like I can benefit from Deflect Arrows (both feats speak about having a hand free) when holding the sword two-handed?

For the Champion of Irori's class abilities that involve unarmed attacks, or other Combat Style feats that entail making unarmed strikes, could I use it with the sword instead?

I apologize if these are real obvious questions, and thus there hasn't been any discussion on it on the search function, but my group and I can't figure out a consensus on Rules as Intended. Rules as Written it seems like blade of the sword-saint qualify for unarmed in almost every way that might be physically possible (such as the sword not snatching an arrow but can deflect it) but we're not sure if that was the intent for the sword to also be used for physical attacks as if unarmed.

Cord of Stubborn Resolve

PRICE 15,000 gp
AURA moderate transmutation CL 8th WEIGHT 1 lb.

When fastened about the waist, this stout length of rope grants a +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution along with prodigious stamina. Treat the enhancement bonus to Constitution as a temporary ability bonus for the first 24 hours the belt is worn.
Any effect which would cause the wearer to become fatigued deals an additional 1d6 points of nonlethal damage instead. Any effect that would cause exhaustion likewise causes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage, and leaves the wearer fatigued instead of exhausted.

Construction Requirements Cost 7,500 GP

Craft Wondrous Item, bear’s endurance, lesser restoration

So main thing I'm wondering about is if a barbarian purposely ending a rage counts as an effect that causes fatigue, or would only external sources such as spells or extreme heat count as effects? Barbarian in my party is leveling up soon and I'm hoping the belt works for rage-cycling to avoid having to level-dip into lame-cursed oracle.

So I'm thinking of playing a witch for PFS soon and been reading up on its main weakness: familiars dying and only getting back a portion of its previous spells known.

If a familiar is lost or dies, it can be replaced 1 day later through a special ritual that costs 500 gp per witch level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete. A new familiar begins knowing all of the 0-level spells plus two spells of every level the witch is able to cast. These are in addition to any bonus spells known by the familiar based on the witch's level and her patron (see patron spells).

Ok so from what I can tell from the other threads (such as this one) on the subject, I believe I understand the part "A new familiar begins knowing all of the 0-level spells plus two spells of every level the witch is able to cast" part:

But what about the part that states, "These are in addition to any bonus spells known by the familiar based on the witch's level"?
Does this mean that in addition to all the spells listed previously, that the new familiar also gets 2 extra spells per witch level? Maybe even the extra level 1 spells a witch characters starts off with?

If not, what does the "bonus spells known by the familiar based on the witch's level" supposed to refer to?

If that is correct, if a witch didn't feed the familiar any scrolls, isn't that a lot more replacement spells than the original familiar had?